


Opening doors.

by lineadecuatro (Maiucha)



Category: Almost Human
Genre: F/F, Gen, Pre-Slash, Truth or Dare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-20
Updated: 2014-02-20
Packaged: 2018-01-13 05:28:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1214413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maiucha/pseuds/lineadecuatro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Fine, I'll go first," Valerie said, determined to play. "Truth."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Opening doors.

**Author's Note:**

> this story belongs to the Femslash February Trope Bingo, was inspired by the prompt "truth or dare" and was beta'd by Arianna (who made an outstanding work, you have no idea; and the fact that you're reading this today is, at least, half thanks to her).  
> Happy reading!

"Truth or dare," Valerie asked, lingering at her desk after the room had cleared, the Delta team leaving for the day after another closed case.

"Oh no," Sandra answered as she flicked files across the virtual screen. “The game went away with them, you're free to follow."

"Come on, humor me," Valerie cajoled. She rocked her chair slightly, side to side knowing the behavior captured the attention of both Kennex and Paul, and wondering if it would elicit a similar reaction from Sandra. 

Sandra didn't reply; she seemed entirely focused on her work, her hands moving over the virtual screen, closing maps and open files, or perhaps sending them off to her office. Valerie had often seen her working late after the cases were done; maybe she'd double check everything or was old school enough to prefer entering some information manually.

"Fine, I'll go first," Valerie said, determined to play. "Truth."

Sandra turned to look at her. Valerie was still moving with her chair but when their eyes met, she stilled. 

"Why do you want to play?" Sandra questioned.

Boring question. Valerie thought, but bit back the words.

"Because I want to," she replied, "and you just agreed we needed to relax after the case, so... I'm relaxing." 

Sandra stared at her, either considering Valerie's words or trying to remember when she had agreed with that. 

"Your turn now," Valerie informed her. "Truth or dare?"

She wondered if Sandra was going to refuse to play but, after a heartbeat, Sandra replied, "Truth."

"Do you want to have dinner with me?" Valerie surprised herself by asking, and had to sit back in her chair to regain some composure. She hadn’t intended to be so blunt, but Sandra's attentive posture, her reluctant willingness to play the game suggested a tentative openness, one that Valerie wanted to explore.

"Yes." 

Valerie blinked. "What?" Valerie blurted, startled by the short, abrupt affirmative; she'd more than expected Sandra to decline. 

"Being truthful is the point of the game, isn't it?" Sandra replied, her manner direct and candid. Without waiting for a reply, she asked, "Truth or dare?"

"Uhm, eh, dare?"

"Don't sound so convinced, Stahl."

"Valerie," she corrected. "When we're playing truth or dare, I want to be called Valerie."

"Valerie," Sandra nodded.

"Right, so, dare."

"Do something nice for Detective Paul tomorrow," Sandra replied, her tone brisk and dry. "Bring him coffee, move him out of Detective Kennex's way… anything."

"What?" Valerie exclaimed, once again thrown off balance by the request. "Your dare is that I have to be nice to Richard? Why? He'll think it's strange." 

"Mhm, maybe."

"You're evil," Valerie charged with a widening smile. 

"You don't get to be captain playing nice," Sandra said, but she smiled in return.

"Fine," Valerie agrees, with a decisive nod, "I'll do it and I'll bring you proof. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Why don't you call me by my name all the time? I've told you before that you could." 

"I find using surnames more professional." 

"You call Detective Kennex by his first name," she couldn’t help pointing out. "And Detective Paul."

"Only sometimes," Sandra replied, her smile fading as her mouth twisted with chagrin. “When they're not listening to reason, or when they're not making sense or when they're fighting like five-year-olds."

When Valerie didn't reply, Sandra frowned as she unconsciously hummed in thought. "Although," she allowed, "I get your confusion: they do that a lot."

Valerie couldn’t help but laugh.

"Truth or dare?" Sandra asked, continuing the game. 

"Truth."

"Did it made you uncomfortable you when I sent you to talk with the chromes families in the case last month?"

"No," Valerie immediately responded. "You sent me to do my job. I didn't fully agree with you at the moment, but I could see your intentions later on." 

After listening, Sandra seemed ready to ask something else but Valerie wasn't in the mood to go on with that subject, so instead she simply asked: "Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to call me Valerie all day tomorrow."

Sandra thought for a moment, then nodded. Turning away from Valerie, ending the game, she explained, "I need to review the case files before turning them in, and I should do it now."

Valerie smiled at the reluctant tone of the abrupt dismissal. "Okay," Valerie agreed. "I'll leave you to it, but I reserve the right to use the information I've obtained from this game in the future."

Sandra glanced back with a soft, slow smile that crinkled her eyes. "Good night, Valerie," she said before walking back to her office. 

Pleased with the game, Valerie wished she had someone to high five with; maybe she could teach her MX to do that. Her smile widened as she reflected that one day, soon, she'd suggest a time and place for dinner.


End file.
